Not So Unloved
by LePetitLapin
Summary: Because in all truth, Jon Snow wasn't so unloved.
1. A Direwolf's Curiosity

ZOMG JON SNOW. O_O

So I started reading Game of Thrones and it's amazing. I know there's a show, but I've just been reading the book more. I've seen tidbits of the show, however. :P I feel so bad for Jon and how he's treated, and while I do have two other crushes (Viserys and Gendry ;D), I had to write for him first because he was pulling me in. xD

Please no hate, this is my first GoT fanfiction. :3

* * *

The sun was high in the sky by noon, but there was a breeze whistling around the castle and through the trees, already a telltale sign that winter was truly coming, just like how the Stark House's words preached. People were still out and about, the chilliness not quite stopping anybody. Bethany already had seen Bran, the second youngest son of the Starks, climbing atop the roofs like a squirrel. He wasn't always allowed to climb up there, given how dangerous it was, but she decided to pretend that she didn't see him for his sake. He always looked so happy when he climbed, like he was on top of the world. She didn't know if he knew she saw him, but if he did, he said nothing about it.

Robb was presumably in the yard, wielding a wooden blade and practicing. Sansa Bethany hadn't seen at all – that girl was quite the lady, not wanting to ride but preferring to sit down and do needlework with Septa Mordane. Arya, however, despised those things, but was nowhere outside, so Bethany could only guess that she had been pulled into the lady-like activities for the day.

There was the noise of a child's laughter and Bethany, as she proceeded to set the bucket on the ground and tip it to allow the water in it that was used to wash some linens spill onto the soil, turned to see the youngest Stark, Rickon, running around, three of the six direwolves playing around with him. From this distance, she couldn't place exactly whose direwolves they were.

She started to stand up with the bucket now that all the water was poured out, but just as she straightened her back and took one step backwards, she felt her leg hit something and she stumbled, not able to get her footing back quickly enough. The bucket fell from her grasp as she herself fell onto her haunches on the ground. Her rear ached from the impact but she stopped in her movement to stand back up when a hand came into her view. She traced it back to the person standing in front of her.

"Sorry," he said, voice smooth as silk and kind as the sun. "Ghost isn't usually like this to get so curious about someone."

Said white direwolf came to sit at his master's side, red eyes watching Bethany with the curiosity only the symbol of the Stark House could possess. He had gone up to sniff her feet when she backed up. She looked up at the one still holding his hand out.

It was Jon Snow, the bastard of the Stark House.

Her cheeks flared with heat. She thought he would be with Robb, who was practically his best friend, out in the yard. Yet here he was, he and his direwolf Ghost in front of her. When she noticed his hand still outstretched, she took it in an instant, feeling even more abashed at how long she'd made him wait with his hand out. He pulled her up effortlessly and let go. It was then that she noticed how warm his hand had been in contrast to hers, to the wind blowing around them, to the fact that his last name was Snow, the name bestowed upon any child who was an illegitimate offspring.

"Ah, here you are." Jon picked up the bucket she'd dropped and handed it back to her. She took it silently and clutched it close to her body, arms around it. He watched her a moment as her eyes were downcast, not wanting to meet his gaze. "There's no need to be so afraid."

At that she side glanced to him, seeing the small smile upon his lips. She hadn't the slightest idea why Catelyn despised him so. Sure, he wasn't her child, but surely his disposition would make up for it. The wind blew again and ruffled her servant's dress. "I apologize, my lord."

"I am no lord." Jon shook his head. "I am no Stark."

"You're humble," Bethany stated with a little surprise, to which he shrugged.

"If that's what you'd like to call it."

It was silent again – not an awkward one, but a strangely comfortable kind. Ghost stayed just as quiet as his name implied, and for a second Bethany thought she heard the sound of Bran's footfalls atop the roofs. The look in Jon's eyes and the amused expression ever so slightly lighting his features showed that he'd heard it too.

"If I may, I must return to my duties." Bethany bowed slightly, the bucket hindering her from bowing all the way.

Jon nodded and she turned back around, feeling both his eyes and Ghost's upon her form.

* * *

Please drop me a review and tell me what you thought. :) - Wolfe116


	2. Fox by the River

Technically Bethany was only on what she would call a short break, having to deliver a document to Ned Stark, who was currently across the entire castle. It was a walk that she gladly took in silence. After she had given it to him with a slight bow, she turned back around to return to her other tasks. It turned out that someone didn't plan on leaving her break at that.

"Bethany!"

A horse ran up and rounded her, coming to a stop in front of her. She halted in her steps. No one other than Jon sat atop it, a friendly smile on his face.

"Yes?" she asked politely.

"Come riding with me."

"Um," Bethany blushed slightly, the request taking her off guard. "I apologize, but I'm not exactly in the proper attire to go riding." She was wearing her servant's dress, like always.

"Nonsense. You can ride side saddle." Jon patted the remaining space of the saddle behind him. "Come on."

Bethany stood there, debating whether she should go with him or stay back to finish everything she was assigned to do. Well, it was a nice day outside, patches of white clouds dotting a wide blue expanse. It was a tempting offer, but she knew she had other things to attend to. Just as she was about to decline, Ghost showed up seemingly out of nowhere at her feet, his bright eyes staring at her, and for an instant he seemed almost like a human. When she looked back up at Jon, who was patiently waiting for an answer, she couldn't stop the "all right" that escaped from her mouth.

Jon smiled widely. "Excellent! Here, give me your hand."

She did as she was told, her smaller hand being lightly grasped in his larger and still warmer one. Before he could help her up, someone else walked up to them, saying, "Need some help?"

Bethany turned around, only a little self-conscious of the fact that Jon didn't let go of her hand. Robb walked up to them, the smallest of smirks upon his face, which he directed at his half-brother. "That would be appreciated," Jon nodded, ignoring the expression.

Robb walked up to Bethany. "May I?" he inquired gently.

She nodded. He set his hands on her waist, and when Jon lifted her up, Robb assisted and helped her sit on the saddle sideways. She got more comfortable and Robb stepped back, setting his hands on his hips as if admiring a beautiful piece of artwork. He nodded approvingly. "Like a prince and his princess."

"Oh, shut up." Jon rolled his eyes and Robb laughed. Bethany smiled, pink tingeing her cheeks. With the way those two acted, it seemed as if they were full brothers rather than half.

Jon took hold of the reins and got the horse into a trot in the direction of the front gate with Ghost trailing behind. Bethany instinctively put her hands around his waist, the up and down feeling of the horse's gait a strange sensation as she sat sideways. She turned back around to see Robb beginning to wield a wooden sword (it seemed as though he was always out in the yard to practice). He caught her looking and gave a little two fingered wave. She smiled back.

The guards opened up the gate as Jon approached, allowing the horse to continue without stopping. Once they exited, Jon got it into a gallop. The wind blew around them, the speed at which they were going making it sound like thunder on a stormy night. Jon maneuvered the horse to jump and round obstacles here and there like an expert rider, and Ghost still managed to keep up.

Jon found a spot near the river sometime later to stop at, and he slowed down. "Here we are," he stated as he got off the horse first. He went up to Bethany and held out his hand, helping her slide off smoothly. "I like to come out here sometimes," he explained. "It's very quiet."

Bethany looked around in wonderment. Everything was so green. She had to crane her neck to look at the tops of the highest trees, and noticed how pretty it looked with the sun peeking through the leaves. The sound of Ghost bounding around was heard and she looked back down when she heard Jon ask, "What is it, Ghost?"

She followed them both to a spot farther down the river. Jon knelt down behind a large boulder and motioned for her to do the same. "Look," he whispered, pointing to something across the river. [Name] followed the direction he was pointing in and blinked at seeing a charming looking fox with glowing yellow eyes on the other side of the water, calmly drinking from it.

"I didn't know those types of foxes were still around," she whispered back.

"Yeah, well, no one thought direwolves were still around either, but…" Jon motioned to Ghost, who looked about ready to pounce on the fox.

* * *

By the time they returned, Bethany knew the head maidservant was looking for her. Jon helped her off the horse right in front of the kitchen, where Bethany was supposed to have gone to after delivering the document. "If she gets too mad, I'm sure I can get Robb to conjure a good excuse for you," he told her.

"And you can't do it yourself?" Bethany asked, hoping it didn't sound too rude.

Jon shook his head. "They won't believe a bastard."

They stood there in silence as the words set in, and Bethany nodded slowly. "Thank you. I enjoyed today."

"As did I." He gave her an amiable little smile, which made butterflies flutter in her stomach, before mounting his horse again and setting off at a slow walk to put it back in the stables.

Yes, the maidservant was definitely mad. But it was worth it.


	3. Casualty

Bethany thought that she could hear the scream of Lady Stark from the kitchen.

She let it go with a sigh, returning to peeling the potatoes. It was probably her imagination. Jon had said before that hers was large, so that was probably the cause of her hearing things that were nonexistent. Suddenly the head maidservant, Leandra, burst through the door, and Bethany flinched, the knife in her hand accidentally slipping and cutting open some skin on her forefinger. It fell to the ground with a clang, but she left it there at the words of her superior:

"Bran's been greatly injured."

The kitchen was filled with gasps and little cries. Bethany kept quiet, her eyebrows furrowing.

"What happened to him?" one of the girls asked.

Leandra shook her head. "Lady Stark would not allow me to know."

_I'll find out from Jon. He might know. _Bethany nodded to herself, her plan decided, but then she remembered the position Jon had in the Stark House and his relations with Lady Stark, and her plan was thrown out the window.

"Bethany, go to Bran's sickroom at once. And take this with you." Leandra thrust a tray with various foods and a cup of herb tea at Bethany, who almost stumbled and dropped all of it to the floor. She could hear other girls asking if they were to also attend to Lady Stark and Bran, but Leandra waved them off, saying that one servant was enough.

The guards around the tower moved out of her way wordlessly, her urgency already enough of an indication of where she was heading. Moving up each step on the staircase was a challenge, having to keep the food from falling but moving quickly at the same time. Another servant would've actually been helpful – they could've helped in carrying all the food that the Lady probably wouldn't eat anyway because she would be in such deep grievance. Bethany sighed again at that as she started down another corridor.

"This is for…" Bethany trailed off, one of the guards in front of the young Stark's sickroom already proceeding to open the door. She walked through it silently and heard the door close behind her.

Catelyn Stark sat at the side of her son's bed, clutching his motionless hand like it was the only thing holding her down to this life. He was unconscious but still breathing, and he was a deathly pale. How long had it been since he'd been injured? It looked like his health was rapidly depleting.

"M-My lady." Bethany said timidly, hoping not to startle the woman as she set the tray on the nightstand. Lady Stark did nothing so much as glance at her for a second and the food before turning her gaze back to her son, rubbing her thumb absentmindedly atop the back of his hand. Bethany was itching to know what had happened to him even more now.

"Thank you," Catelyn replied, her voice cracking a bit. "You may go."

Bethany nodded, exiting the room quickly, for the tension in it was too much for her. As soon as she was at the bottom of the staircase, she headed back to the kitchen to put something together before going to find her friend.

* * *

She found Jon sitting on the ledge of a window that overlooked the yard, Ghost sitting on the ground next to him. He didn't notice her as she came up to him. She perched across from him, and it was only when she'd sat down that he turned to her. She smiled slightly, and his eyes went to the cup she held in her hands.

"Here, I made this for you." She handed him the cup.

He glimpsed down and examined its content before looking back up. "What is it?"

"Iced milk with honey. [1] It's one of my favorite drinks – always cheers me up."

He nodded slowly. "Thank you." He drank a little of it, but when he set the cup back down, his face was contorted in slight disgust. "Is it supposed to be this sweet?"

Bethany chuckled. "Yes, it is. But I always liked sweets, so it makes me feel better." She watched him look out the window again, and she frowned. "Jon, what happened to Bran?"

His own frown deepened. "He fell off a window ledge while climbing."

"He couldn't have," Bethany tried to reason. "He climbs all the time. Why now?"

Jon didn't answer.

They sat in silence for a while, the occasional clank of swords clashing being heard. Eventually Bethany leaned forward and set a hand on Jon's shoulder, causing him to look at her. She forced a smile onto her face, even though the image of a terribly sick Bran flashed in her mind. "He'll be okay."

Jon set one of his hands on top of hers, catching her by surprise. The smile he returned was what completely disarmed her. "I hope you're right."

* * *

[1] - Yeah, I borrowed that drink from Grand Maester Pycelle. xD


	4. Underlying Fondness

CuteSango07: Ooooh, if you ever get the chance to at least read the book, I suggest doing so. :D And thanks!

UncommonNonsense: Thank you! :)

* * *

Bethany walked down the large and seemingly endless corridor wordlessly, on her way to Bran's sickroom. She had been asked by Leandra to be a temporary stewardess to Lady Stark, since her own had come down with a minor illness. It was an easy job, given how Lady Stark refused to eat or speak or even so much as leave the room. Bethany felt sorry that she had to go through such pain, especially since the cause of Bran's injury was a mystery.

A white direwolf came into view at the end of the hall, and when Bethany caught up to it, Jon had just come down the passage on the left. They met at the hallways' intersection. Without saying anything, Jon figured out from the look in Bethany's eyes where she was going. "Off to attend to Lady Stark and Bran?" he asked.

The servant girl nodded. "I've been requested to tend to her needs for a bit. Are you heading there too?"

Jon shook his head. "You know how the Lady hates me. I'll only visit Bran when she leaves."

"She might never leave his side, Jon."

"I know."

Bethany frowned at the solemn tone Jon's voice had taken. Already some knew that Bran might not make it through this injury, and if Jon didn't want to visit Bran until Lady Stark left, then he might never see his brother again. Catelyn Stark was stubborn. She wouldn't leave her second youngest son. "Well, I'll be going then."

Jon gave her a curt nod and followed Ghost straight down the hallway they'd been walking through before. Bethany watched after the two for a second before going her own way. She walked up the staircase and rounded a corner. Once more she strode through the door that the guard had opened upon seeing her approaching, and when the door was closed behind her, she bowed, gave a quiet, "My lady," and stood next to the door, waiting for any request given to her.

She didn't know how long she was standing there, but she knew it was long enough to make her notice a loose thread on her dress and begin fingering it. When she looked back up again, Lady Stark didn't look like she'd moved at all. She watched her for a moment, then the unconscious Bran that still looked horribly sick. Before she could halt the flow of words, she asked: "My lady, would it anger you if Jon Snow were to come and visit Bran?"

It took some time before Catelyn Stark replied, "I do not possess even an ounce of care for that bastard boy." The way she said it and bit out the word "bastard" made Bethany flinch a bit. "Why?"

Bethany became suddenly nervous now. It seemed that Lady Stark's temper was on a short fuse. Swallowing, she continued. "Bran is just as much a brother to Jon as he is to Robb and Sansa and all the others. He should be able to visit too… i-if it pleases the Lady."

"Nothing about that Jon Snow pleases me." Lady Stark was quickly becoming irritated, Bethany could tell. Now she was reconsidering the decision she'd made to let words spill from her mouth in the first place. This wasn't looking very good. "Did he put you up to this?" the Lady asked suddenly. "Did he tell you to ask me on his behalf since he knew you'd be attending to me?"

Bethany was taken off guard at that question. "W-What? No, my lady! He would never do such a thing!"

"Then is it because you harbor affection for him?"

Silence reigned in the room as Lady Stark watched Bethany, waiting for a reaction or response. Bethany didn't say anything, at a loss for words. She didn't know the answer to that in the slightest. Did she have an underlying care for Jon that stretched beyond the boundaries of friendship? The mere thought made her cheeks heat up a little. Instead of choosing to answer with a yes or no (which would've been the smarter route), she diverted the inquiry with another one: "Why is it that you dislike Jon so much?"

Lady Stark looked almost amused at seeing someone actually having the guts to ask. "He is evidence of my husband's infidelity." Her tone was close to mocking.

Bethany wasn't deterred as she went on with her case. "But Jon himself hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Enough." Catelyn Stark had no more room for fun and games. "You have no place talking to me on this subject. You are nothing but a servant."

Bethany promptly shut her mouth. A punishment was going to follow. She felt it.

"You are excused," Lady Stark then stated, and Bethany, although surprised, didn't linger in the room any longer.

She was walking swiftly down the corridors again, past the guard at the door and past Septa Mordane, Sansa, and Arya, who were probably on their way to visit Bran. It wasn't until she was making her way outside to get some fresh air that she noticed how fast her heart had been beating.


	5. Beyond Winterfell

Bethany thanked the gods repeatedly when she got word that Catelyn Stark's steward was well enough to resume her position. The past few days her words were so few she could count them. She could tell that the Lady had an obvious distaste for her after the topic of discussion not even one week ago. She never thought she'd be so grateful that she was returning to her normal job of delivering documents, cooking food, and washing linens. Today, however, she'd been sent to clean up the library.

She strode into the roomful of books, already frowning at the sight of dusty looking tomes piled in the corner. Her eyes scanned the tables, seeing more books strewn across them. She strode to those first, since they looked lighter, and grabbed a few, starting down the aisle of bookshelves they belonged in.

Her ears were beginning to ring from the eerie silence as she put all the books into their respective places. She set aside one here and there to read in her free time. Well, more like hide under the table atop her lap to read while working in the kitchen. It was no wonder she was accidentally nicking her skin so much.

One book was to be returned in a spot rather high on one of the bookshelves, and Bethany huffed, determined to put it back. Stretching her arm out as much as it could go, she slipped the bottom corner of the book onto the shelf and balanced her fingertips against the spine as she carefully pushed it in. It was beginning to get harder for her to push it the more it went in, but a hand came seemingly out of nowhere and pushed the book the rest of the way in with ease. She turned around to meet the casual little smile of Jon.

She tilted her head. "Fancy meeting you here."

Jon quickly frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked as Bethany went to retrieve more books.

Said girl chuckled as she gathered together a few books that would go into the same aisle. "I didn't take you much for the reading type."

"I can be if I should choose to set my mind to it." Jon followed Bethany down an aisle and watched her from off to the side, still not saying anything as Ghost came to sit next to him, his head high and red eyes glowing. After a few minutes he asked, "Need some help?"

Bethany stopped working and turned to him, giving him a look that hinted that he probably should've offered his assistance earlier. Nonetheless, she sighed, a small smile on her face. "That would be appreciated."

Jon wasted no time in getting books for himself to put away, and Ghost trailed after him. A few minutes of silence passed before a gust of wind rattled against the window. Bethany glanced at the glass, looking outside as if scrutinizing something. He watched her set down the book she was holding and walk up to the window.

"Did something catch your eye?" he asked as he came to stand next to her.

Bethany nodded slightly and put a finger to the cold glass. Jon looked to where she was pointing to: the lands beyond the walls of Winterfell. He blinked. "What intrigues you about it?"

"I've never been past the walls," Bethany stated, pressing her hand on the glass.

"Did your parents live in Winterfell?"

Bethany dragged her hand down slowly and pulled away. There was a smear on the window now. "My mother served the Starks before I was born, and fell pregnant with me when my father went to fight at the Trident. She died giving birth to me. As for my father... I've asked Lord Stark, and he says he was killed in battle. I've been here ever since."

Jon was quiet. He was a bastard, yes, and shunned, but he at least had Ned Stark, his father, around. Bethany had no one. Both her parents were gone. She'd known nothing but a servant's life, having inherited it from her mother.

"We could do it together," he suddenly found himself saying as he gazed out beyond Winterfell's boundaries. "O-Or... _you_ can, on your own, if you'd prefer." If anything, he didn't want it to sound like he was forcing her to come with him should he venture outside of Winterfell.

Bethany looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"One day, you could leave Winterfell and explore the other lands." [1]

Bethany had to think if she'd heard her friend correctly. Her, a servant, venturing past the walls? It was a very unlikely idea, but there was something in Jon's voice that was beginning to convince her that truly, one day, she would see more than just Winterfell.

"Do you _not_ want to go with me?" she asked quietly. He'd hesitated earlier with the whole idea of the both of them going together, and it worried her a little. She didn't want to go alone.

"W-What? No, I do!" Jon answered quickly. "I mean... o-only if you want me to."

Bethany smiled softly, and when Jon glimpsed at her, he felt himself smiling too. "I'd like that," she told him.

He agreed, the books long forgotten. "Me too."

* * *

[1] - That was sort of a reference to Gale Hawthorne's quote right at the beginning of the _Hunger Games _novel. I really liked it a lot and thought I should put some sort of nod to it in here. :) Of course, the original quote belongs to Suzanne Collins, a very amazing author. :D


	6. The Nosy One

DO I SEE AN UPDATE?

This chapter's a bit choppy, if a little awkward, in my opinion, but I felt it needed to be in here. Think of it as an... interlude, of sorts.

Guest: Jon stumbling over his words is too cute. :3 And thanks! :)

Jasmine: Thank you!

Enjoy. :D

* * *

Jon wasn't expecting to see Robb, of all people, when he stepped out into the courtyard early in the morning.

He woke up at the break of dawn, but was unable to fall back asleep, so with Ghost following close behind him, he walked outside to wander about the castle when its inhabitants (save for a handful of servants and guards) had yet to rise. As soon as Grey Wind spotted Ghost, the two scampered off to do whatever it was direwolves cared to do.

"I didn't take you much for an early riser," Jon stated.

Robb shrugged. "Neither did I…"

The two fell in step together as they traipsed around. It was silent for a short while, but only until Robb asked, "Do you like her?"

Jon glanced at his half-brother, an eyebrow raised but no confusion showing in his eyes. "What?"

"The servant girl: Bethany. Do you like her?"

Jon didn't answer right away, instead looking away and keeping his gaze to the front. Robb didn't rush him. He was probably too tired. Any time later in the day and Robb would've been nudging him and goading the answer out of him before he could even process the question. Apparently he was quiet for a little too long, since Robb went on, taking his lack of words as a yes.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"It's far too early to be asking me such trivial questions."

"You can't worm your way out of this one, Jon. Not if I'm the one asking the questions."

Jon chuckled. "I might be rather… fond of her, yes. And as for the matter of admitting it to her, it isn't that easy to just… come out with it, you know."

Now it was Robb whose eyebrow was raised. "You're being awfully vague."

"But I answered your questions, didn't I?"

Robb rolled his eyes in a joking manner. "Always the difficult one."

"Always the nosy one," Jon shot back, quick as lightning.

Bethany blinked from where she was at the stables when she heard muffled footfalls. She hung a saddle before turning around and spotting two direwolves running toward her. She smiled, immediately recognizing them, and kneeled to greet them. Even though they were still growing, they were getting big, and fast. Already they were the same height as her kneeling form when they sat on their haunches.

"Have you two managed to leave your masters' rooms to run around together?" she asked, scratching Grey Wind and Ghost behind their ears. "No such thing as wanting to get too much fresh air." As she started to pull her hands away, Ghost nudged the palm of her hand, telling her to keep scratching his head, and she obliged. Grey Wind rounded them and walked into the stables, probably to give one of the horses a good scare or two for fun. She should probably go watch over him while he was in there…

But then Ghost's ominous red eyes pulled her back in, stealing her attention. "I like you, do you know that?" She then spoke in a quieter tone. "I like you just a little bit more than the other direwolves. Don't let them know that though."

Ghost tilted his head, but she knew he understood. "Don't be arrogant. Nobody likes arrogance, whether it's instilled in a human or an animal."

He whined.

"Hey, where do you suppose Grey Wind and Ghost are?" Robb asked suddenly.

Jon's eyes scanned their surroundings, but the direwolves were nowhere in sight. "I don't know."

"Might as well find them then."

It took them a little longer than they thought it would to find their direwolves. Eventually they sighted them near the stables. Bethany was knelt down in front of Ghost. Grey Wind wasn't visible, but they could hear scuffling within the stables, which they assumed was being caused by Grey Wind.

"Look who it is," Robb teased, nudging Jon.

Jon sighed. There was the Robb he knew. Nonetheless, he did his best to stay out of sight, lest Bethany spot him.

There was a whinny from a horse, and Bethany stood up abruptly, sighing and walking into the stables. "Grey Wind!" she reprimanded, trying to get the direwolf to back out of the stall one of the horses was in. "Get out of there! You'll be pissed on by the horse you just frightened if you don't!"

Grey Wind got the message quickly and scuttled out to a waiting Ghost.

Jon watched on, amused, before the two ran toward him and Robb. Bethany was on her way to the kitchen, so he steered clear of her path. He wasn't intent on running into her with Robb around.


End file.
